<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Conference by silly_mortal</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26357332">The Conference</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/silly_mortal/pseuds/silly_mortal'>silly_mortal</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Life Goes On (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adultery, Boss/Employee Relationship, Extramarital Affairs, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Guilt, Morning After</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 05:34:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>9,482</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26357332</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/silly_mortal/pseuds/silly_mortal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Libby wakes up next to someone who isn't Drew.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Libby Thacher/Jerry Berkson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This takes place sometime in season 1.</p><p>My Jibby Timeline:</p><p>The Bomb Threat<br/>The Conference<br/>A Series of Questions (various timelines)<br/>The News<br/>The Baby<br/>The Sitter<br/>The Trip<br/>The Weekend<br/>The Announcement<br/>The First Christmas<br/>The Conversation<br/>The Memories<br/>Halloween With The Berksons<br/>The Patient<br/>A Birthday</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Friday<br/>
Early Morning<br/>
Hotel Room<br/></p>
<p>The first thing Libby noticed when she began waking up was the pounding in her head. She didn’t dare open her eyes, for fear of the pain increasing. She couldn’t remember what they had done the night before but this headache had all the makings of a hangover… which was odd because she and Drew rarely drank. Maybe a glass of wine or a beer here and there, but neither of them had gotten drunk enough to have a hangover in <em>years</em>.</p>
<p>The second thing she noticed was the dull, but pleasant, ache between her legs, a telltale sign that they had sex – pretty good sex from the feel of it. It was a shame that she couldn’t remember that either, because it had been so long since they’d gone at it and even longer since it had been good. Maybe even longer than it had been since she had woken up with a hangover.</p>
<p>She relished in the feeling of the warm, naked body that was spooned against hers. Drew wasn’t normally a cuddler, which had always been such a disappointment to Libby. She was a passionate person, who loved to be petted and shown tenderness. She often wondered how she could have chosen to spend the past 20 years of her life with someone who didn’t want to do that. It never even seemed to cross Drew’s mind. If he was looking for sex and Libby wasn’t in the mood, he might give the old “I just want to hold you” game a try, in order to change her mind, but, afterwards, he always just rolled off her and onto his side of the bed, as if there were an invisible wall between them. </p>
<p>And, yet, here he was, one arm under her neck, the other around her, his hand resting on her right breast as his thumb moved back and forth, gently. She smiled as he pushed closer to her, brushed her hair aside and began pressing feather-light kisses to the back of her neck.</p>
<p>“When did you suddenly become so affectionate?” she smiled, her eyes still closed and her voice thick with sleep.</p>
<p>“When I woke up with the most beautiful woman in the world in my arms.”</p>
<p>Libby’s eyes shot open. </p>
<p>That was not Drew’s voice. In fact, it sounded like - </p>
<p>“Jerry?!”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Friday<br/>
Early Morning<br/>
Hotel Room<br/>
</p><p>“Jerry?!”</p><p>“Yeah ‘<em>Jerry</em>’. Did you already forget my name?” he teased, placing another kiss just behind her ear. </p><p>Libby sat up, clutching the blanket and sheet to her chest. In an effort to put as much distance as she could between herself and her boss, clambered toward the other end of the bed and misjudged where the edge of the bed was, sending her tumbling over the side. She landed with an ‘oomph’ and immediately scooted back against the wall, drawing her knees up and scrambling to make sure she was completely covered.</p><p>“Libs… What’re you doin’?”</p><p>She looked up to see Jerry peering at her from the side of the bed.</p><p>“Did you have a nightmare?” he asked, concerned.</p><p>A nightmare… That’s what this was. If she closed her eyes, all of this would disappear and she’d be back in her own bed, trying to drown out Drew’s snoring.</p><p>Libby closed her eyes and listened. Nothing. Slowly, she opened her eyes again. While she wasn’t in her bed, thankfully, Jerry had disappeared. </p><p>“Oh, thank god,” she breathed a sign of relief.</p><p>“’Thank god’ what?” </p><p>Jerry’s head popped over the side again, as he slid his glasses on and squinted at her.</p><p>“Jerry?!” she repeated, not knowing what else to say.</p><p>“What ‘Jerry’? Why do you keep sayin’ my name over and over? You should remember it – you screamed it enough times last night.”</p><p>“Oh my god,” she groaned, dropping her head into her hands.</p><p>“Seriously, Libs, what’s wrong?” he asked, gently. “I thought you were joking, but I’m starting to think you’re not.” </p><p>She hesitated a moment before answering him.</p><p>“What did we do last night? I mean… It’s obvious what we <em>did</em>, but what happened? <em>How</em> did it happen?... Did you <em>drug</em> me, Jerry?!” she accused.</p><p>His mouth gaped open.</p><p>“What the -  I have to <em>drug</em> women to get them to go to bed with me?! Nice, Libs. Nice.”</p><p>“Jer-”</p><p>Jerry’s face darkened. He could understand her being a little disoriented after the night they had had, but he wasn’t going to let her accuse him of raping her.</p><p>“You’ve known me for <em>years</em>, Libby. Do you really think I’d <em>do</em> that to you – or to anyone?”</p><p>“No...” she replied, her voice filled with guilt. “Of course not… I just- I woke up in <em>bed</em> with you. <em>Naked</em>. And I don’t know how it happened!”</p><p>“You really don’t remember last night? I didn’t think you were that drunk.”</p><p>“I remember we went to dinner after the conference, but that’s it.”</p><p>“You don’t remember the karaoke bar?”</p><p>She shook her head, in confusion.</p><p>“One of the ad execs from Chicago told us about it and we went with them. You sang all night – no one else even wanted to sing after you got up there, so you ended up giving a mini concert... God, Libs, your voice is amazing. You really should have been a singer.”</p><p>Libby looked away. The last thing she needed at this moment, in addition to knowledge that she had slept with her boss and had broken her marriage vows, was to be reminded of dreams that would never come true.</p><p>“People kept sending drinks to our table, so you’d keep singing. You sang, we talked, then we came up here, talked some more and….” his voice trailed off, not wanting to state the obvious.</p><p>“Oh, my god…. Oh, my god...” she repeated, rocking back and forth.</p><p>Jerry watched as she sat on the ground, bundled up in the blanket, looking like a lost child who was on the verge of tears. His heart softened and he stood up to go to her.</p><p>“Jerry, put some clothes on!” she insisted, averting her eyes, though she had already gotten an eyeful.</p><p>She couldn’t believe Jerry had been packing <em>that</em> in his pants all this time. It was no wonder she still felt that dull throbbing between her legs.</p><p>“You’ve already seen it, Libs. Can’t I just...” he asked, gesturing to the blanket.</p><p>“You are <em>not</em> getting under this blanket with me. Put some clothes on! And hand me some too, while you’re at it… Where are you going?!” she added, when he flashed his bare ass at her as he disappeared into the adjoining room.</p><p>“That’s your room, Libs. All my clothes are in mine.”</p><p>“What about the ones you wore last night? Just put those on for now!”</p><p>“They’re in here, too – and so are yours. We started in my room and made our way to yours… <em>for round two</em>,” he added, as he peeked around the doorway at her and waggled his eyebrows.</p><p>Libby ignored him and stood up, struggling to keep the blanket around her. Immediately, she noticed something sticking to the hand she had used to push herself up from the ground. A used condom. Disgusted, she shook it off and turned, just in time to see Jerry, clad only in boxer shorts, strutting back into the room.</p><p>“I said to put on <em>clothes</em>.”</p><p>“What? These are clothes,” he shrugged. “Here...” </p><p>She took the T-shirt out of his hand. His T-shirt. A white T-shirt, that her nipples would be plainly visible in.</p><p>Libby glared up at him.</p><p>“What?” he asked, innocently. “Did you want your dress from yesterday? It’s on the ground and kinda wrinkled.”</p><p>“Where are my underwear, Jerry?” </p><p>“God only knows where those went flying. Besides, you don’t want to put on underwear that were on a hotel floor. Yuck,” he shuddered. “Want me to get you a fresh pair?”</p><p>Before she could answer, he walked over to her suitcase, which was sitting on the luggage rack, and lifted the top. Libby raced to where we was standing, grappling to keep the blanket around her, and slammed the lid down, just as he pulled out a pair of silky black panties.</p><p>“Are these ok?” he asked, trying to appear innocent.</p><p>She snatched them out of his hand. </p><p>“Turn around,” she snapped. “I don’t care if you’ve already seen it all – turn around!”</p><p>He threw up his hands in surrender and did as he as told, while Libby pulled the shirt over her head and then stepped into the underwear. When Jerry heard her sit on the bed, he turned and joined her. They were both silent for awhile, sitting side by side.</p><p>“What are you thinking?” he finally asked, in a soft voice.</p><p>Libby sighed.</p><p>“A million things and nothing, all at once.” </p><p>“What’s the main thing you’re thinking?”</p><p>“About my kids… That I’m a terrible mother.”</p><p>“What are you talkin’ about – you’re a great mother! What does this even have to do with your kids?”</p><p>“I didn’t even think about them. I just thought about myself and I didn’t give a thought about what this would do to my family!”</p><p>“Libby… This doesn’t have to do anything to your family. No one ever has to know about this, certainly not your kids. The only way they’re ever going to know is if you tell them and there’s no reason for you to do that.”</p><p>“No?” she looked over at him.</p><p>“Of course not. Besides, the last thing a kid wants to hear about it their mother’s sex life.”</p><p>He smiled at her, reassuringly, and she gave him a small smile in return. He reached up to touch her face but, at the last second, decided against it and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.</p><p>“I’ll just make sure to never wear my ‘Libs and I did the deed’ T-shirt around them.” </p><p>Libby laughed, in spite of herself. That was a good thing about Jerry. He could always make her laugh, even at the most inappropriate of times.</p><p>“Jesus...” she sighed, looking back at her lap.</p><p>“It wasn’t that bad,” he teased, trying to lighten the mood. “You had a good time. I promise.”</p><p>“Stop making fun of me, Jerry,” she whined. “I cheated on my husband and there’s nothing good about that. I feel terrible.”</p><p>“What do you care, Libs? It’s not like he hasn’t done it to you.”</p><p>Libby looked at him, shocked.</p><p>“What did you say?”</p><p>“You told me about it last night - about how Drew messed around with his ex after Corky was born. Paige’s mom, right? That you found out when you ended up with VD and he said he had done it because he was having a hard time ‘dealing with Corky’ and how you wanted to leave him, but you knew your parents wouldn’t go for you getting a divorce – especially after they made you marry him when you had gotten pregnant with Corky. Plus, you knew you’d lose Paige, if you ever left him... And that there were other times you think he cheated, but you couldn’t prove it... And how you even think he’s messing around with some secretary at his job site now, but that you really don’t care as long as he leaves you alone. Libs - why are you looking at me like I’m a lunatic? Do ya think I’m makin’ this all up? How would I know all that, if you didn’t tell me?”</p><p>She knew he wasn’t making it up. She knew every single thing he had said was true, but she also knew that those were things she had never told another living soul before she, apparently, told Jerry. Well, she had confessed the part about Kathryn and wanting to leave Drew to her priest once, 20 years ago, but he convinced her to stay because “God doesn’t like divorce.” Well, that was great for God, but he also didn’t have to live with a selfish bastard who treated his wife like something that was a cross between a maid and his own personal whore. A neglected whore, at that, because God only knows the last time she was able to have an orgasm with anything other than her own fingers or a device that required regular replacement of the batteries. Oh- According to Jerry, that had occurred only just last night. </p><p>Libby snorted. It was just her luck that someone had finally made her climax again and she couldn’t remember a thing about it. Damn it. She shook her head, trying to block out the thought. She felt a pang of Catholic guilt, which reminded her that she should be feeling regret because she had committed adultery, not because she wished she could remember how good the act actually felt.</p><p>“It doesn’t matter what he’s done. I still feel terrible about what <em>I’ve

</em>-"</p><p>
“You don’t feel terrible that you were unfaithful to Drew and you don’t feel terrible that you spent the night with me.”
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Don’t psychoanalyze me, Jerry,” she snapped. “You have no idea what I’m thinking.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Yes, I do…. I know you, Libs, probably better than that oaf you’re married to.  Think about it – If you were upset that you had damaged your marriage or embarrassed that this happened between us, you would have told me you quit and would have been halfway to the airport by now, trying to get home. Or, at the very least, you’d have run into the other room and locked me out, to get away from me. But here you are, sitting beside me on a bed, wearing nothing but a T-shirt, still just talking to me normally… You know that you’re not happy with Drew and, from what you’ve told me, you haven’t been happy with him for almost two decades now… but you love your kids and you don’t want to upset them in any way, especially Corky. But, at the same time, maybe, just maybe, you might have found someone who <em>could</em> make you happy. That’s something you probably haven’t let yourself think about happening for a very long time and so it’s put you in something of a predicament... Am I right?” </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Libby stared down at her hands, afraid to look at him.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“And you know what you haven’t said, Libs? That you regret it. That is was a mistake... Maybe you don’t think it was.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>She remained silent, terrified to admit what he said was true.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Libs…” he said, in, possibly, the softest voice she had ever heard him use. “You know I… <em>care</em> about you, right? I mean, how could you <em>not</em> know, after all these years?”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>She knew. Of course she knew. </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Jerry was obnoxious, didn’t know how to respect boundaries and could be an out-and-out jerk, but he was always doing little things that let her know that he thought more of her than he did his other employees. He would often take her out to lunch, under the pretense of them discussing work, although the conversations never ended up being work-related. In the mornings, he would bring her a cup of coffee from that gourmet coffee stand he liked, always pretending the barista had given him the wrong one, coincidentally made <em>exactly</em> the way she liked it. When her time of the month was coming and she had the munchies just beforehand, he would hand her a Snickers and a Twix, her two favorites that she always had a hard time choosing between, telling her the machine had given him an extra one of each, even though he knew that she knew he was allergic to chocolate and never ate it himself. Those were nice things that made it seem like she was his favorite employee, and maybe even a friend, but it was a just few months ago when she finally noticed something that made her think it was more than that. </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Berkson &amp; Berkson had been close to missing a deadline, so Jerry had everyone in the office stay late one night, to finish everything up. He had asked Libby to order some pizzas for the staff and, when he took out the money to give her to pay the delivery driver, a photo fell out of his wallet. She pretended she hadn’t noticed it, but she had. She recognized it immediately. It was a photo from the charity softball tournament last summer – one that both Drew and the girls had declined to attend. Only Corky had come with her, her sweet boy who was excited at the prospect of watching his mother play on a team. Berkson &amp; Berkson had won a game that day and the charity photographer had caught the team in a group hug. Well, more than a group hug. The photographer actually caught the moment that, in a fit of excitement, Libby had leaped into Jerry’s arms and he lifted her into the air, laughing. There were several photos of the team, one of which hung in the office as a large print, but only one had caught this moment between the two of them and this was the photo that Jerry carried in his wallet… a team picture that had been cut down to feature only the two of them, her in his arms and both of them smiling and gazing at one another. </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Yes, Libby knew that he <em>cared</em> for her.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I might tease you a lot, but I would never do anything to hurt you or our relationship. Friendship,” he added, quickly.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I know you wouldn’t.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Whatever you decide that we do after this is up to you. We can pretend this never happened or talk about where we go from here. I’ll respect whatever you want… but I don’t want to lose you, Libs. I hope, at the very least, that we’re still friends.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Libby hesitated a moment, before answering.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Of course we are.” </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>She heard him breathe a sigh of relief.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Are we… <em>anything</em> besides that?” he asked, tentatively.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I don’t know what we are right now. I need to think. But we’ll always be friends, no matter what.” </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Jerry reached for her hand and entwined his fingers with hers.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I can live with that. Just let me know what you decide about the rest.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>She nodded, without looking at him.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I’m going to have a shower,” she told him. “We have Day Two of the conference to get to.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Sure, ok. I’ll go get ready too.”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Libby gave his hand a small squeeze, stood up and headed to the bathroom, stopping suddenly to pull another condom off the bottom of her foot.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“Jesus, Jerry, how many of these did we use?!” </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>Jerry shrugged.</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>“I don’t remember. Three? Four?”</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>She gaped at him. What kind of stamina did Jerry have? He was in his 40s, for god’s sake. Drew hadn’t been able to go more than twice a night even when he was still in his 20s. She hadn’t gone three or four times in one night since she couldn’t remember when... Oh yes, she could. Jordan Parnell, her boyfriend before Drew. <em>God</em>, that boy could go all night long, especially after they had performed on stage together. Oh, the things they had- </p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  Libby shook the memory out of her head and glared at Jerry.
  
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  “Did you plan this? Did you bring a case of them with you, planning on trying to get lucky with me?” she accused.
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  “I didn’t bring any with me, Libby. You and I were <em>together</em> when I bought those last night, in the hotel gift shop. At  <em>your</em> request.”
 
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  
   She stared at him for a long moment, at a loss for words.
 
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  "Oh. Well... At least we were safe,” she said, turning away to head into the bathroom.
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  “Yeah, except for that last time, in the shower.”
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  That stopped her in her tracks, but she kept her back to him.
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
 “We <em>showered</em> together?” she asked.
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  “Yep,” he said, a teasing lilt in his voice. “A long one. We started to run out of hot water and I didn’t think that was possible in a hotel. And that’s not all we did in there, Libs. You know that shower seat they have in there? Well, you were holding onto the back of it and your foot was on the-”
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p><p>
  She manage to race into the bathroom and slam the door, before she heard the rest.
</p><p>
  <em></em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Friday<br/>
Late Morning<br/>
Huntington Convention Center</p><p> </p><p>“Hey Libs, whaddya say we blow off this conference and do some sightseeing?” Jerry asked, after they had walked around the exhibit hall for the second time. </p><p>They had spent the last couple of hours wandering around the booths of the trade fair, picking up product samples for Libby to take home to her kids, while trying to act as if everything was and failing miserably. Every time Jerry accidentally brushed against her, Libby would recoil, as if she had been burned. At one point, he had bought her a bottle of water and some aspirin, to help alleviate her hangover symptoms, and when his hand accidentally touched hers, she instantly pulled away, causing the pills to tumble to the ground. Jerry had ignored her reaction and merely got her some more medication, careful to not make contact with her the next time he handed them to her.</p><p>She had been extremely uncomfortable all day. Though, surprisingly, Jerry hadn’t said anything untoward since they had left the hotel, every time she looked his way, he was staring at her. She found herself wondering what he saw when he looked at her. Was he seeing her as she was at the moment, wearing her favorite emerald green suit dress, the one that fit like a glove and complemented her auburn hair, or was it something lewd that was in his mind? She wondered if he his stare meant he was picturing her doing something she had done the night before. In his mind, was she naked and writhing beneath him or, worse, on top of him, where he could see absolutely everything? Did he picture her wet and moaning in the shower, as he pounded away inside of her? Or was he envisioning her lips wrapped around his-</p><p>Libby frantically shook the images from her mind.</p><p>“What are you looking at, Jerry?!” she demanded, in a hushed whisper.</p><p>“Whaddya mean what am I looking at? I’m looking at you! I just asked you a question.”</p><p>“Why do you keep staring at me all the time?”</p><p>“I’m just <em>looking</em> at you, Libby. The same way I’ve <em>looked</em> at you since the day I met you. What do you think, that I’m picturing you with your lips wrapped around my-”</p><p>“Jerry!” she hissed.</p><p>“Hey Jerry… Libby…”</p><p>Libby and Jerry turned to see a fellow advertising executive , one they had met the day before, walking by. They both smiled at him.</p><p>“Libby, I heard you were <em>fantastic</em> last night!” </p><p>The smile fell from Libby’s face and she turned to Jerry, fury in her eyes.</p><p>“Your singing, Libs,” he muttered, the smile still plastered to his face.</p><p>“Brett Collins said he was with you and Jerry at the bar last night. Will you be singing there again tonight?” the exec asked.</p><p>“Unfortunately not,” she smiled, sweetly. “I think I overdid myself and my throat is a little sore today. All the smoke in the bar must have aggravated it.”</p><p>“That’s a shame. I heard you were really something. Maybe some other time.”</p><p>“Definitely,” Libby smiled, as he walked away.</p><p>“See, Libs, you were a hit,” Jerry said.</p><p>“I only wished that I remembered it,” she sighed. “I’m so embarrassed to think that I may have done something foolish in front of these people. Did I?” she asked.</p><p>“Not at all. You were great, Libs. Perfect.”</p><p>“And you and I didn’t do anything unprofessional there, at the bar…?”</p><p>Libby looked at him, terrified that he was going to say that she had done something mortifying. He put his hands on her arms and smiled, reassuringly. This time, she didn’t pull away.</p><p>“We both had a good time, did a lot of shots and had a lot of laughs, but nothing that would embarrass either of us in front of anyone we do business with. And we didn’t have any <em>personal</em> conversations until we were completely alone at the table. We didn’t even kiss at the bar, we waited until we got into the taxi. Don’t worry about anything at all.”</p><p>She sighed, in relief. He rubbed her back, gently.</p><p>“Seriously, Libs, let get out of here. We did all of our schmoozing yesterday, we don’t need to impress any of these bums anymore.”</p><p>Libby looked at him, curiously.</p><p>“Let’s go see the city together. Have you ever been to Cleveland? We can go sightseeing together and just spend some quality time together. Whaddya say?”</p><p>She thought about it for a moment.</p><p>“Corky did ask me if I’d bring him a shirt from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”</p><p>“Then that will be the first place we go.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Friday
Afternoon<br/>
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I want a picture next to The Beatles exhibition, Libs!” Jerry said, excitedly.</p>
<p>“Ok, go stand over there and I’ll take one...”</p>
<p>“I want us to take one <em>together</em>!” he whined.</p>
<p>“Jerry, we’ve taken a dozen pictures together! The kids are expecting me to bring home pictures of Cleveland and I can’t very well show them a packet of pictures of the two of us with our arms around each other, looking like we’re on our honeymoon! We have to at least try to appear like we’re just friends.”</p>
<p>“So… We’re not <em>just</em> friends?” Jerry smirked.</p>
<p>Libby rolled her eyes at him, pretending to be more irritated than she actually was.</p>
<p>“I’m just askin’ cause we’ve been walking around here for two hours, with our arms around one another or holding hands. I don’t know about you, but I don’t normally hold hands with my friends.”</p>
<p>“Do you even <em>have</em> any friends, Jerry?” she asked, flippantly.</p>
<p>“No need to get personal, Libs. I was just askin’ a question.”</p>
<p>“Do you want me to stop holding your hand or letting you put your arm around me?”</p>
<p>“Putting <em>my</em> arm around <em>you</em>? We’ve had them around <em>each other</em>, thank you very much. And I’m not complainin’ about it at all. I just find it an interesting development, since you were acting like I had the plague two hours ago.”</p>
<p>Libby sighed.</p>
<p>“We were around <em>work</em> people, Jerry. Do you see any work people here?”</p>
<p>“So that’s the only reason you were uncomfortable around me earlier? Because there were work people around?” he asked, teasingly. </p>
<p>When she didn’t answer, he continued. </p>
<p>“Anyway, I’ll get another roll of film in the gift shop and I’ll get the pictures developed when we get home, so we can separate the ones of us and you can take the ones of you alone home for the kids.”</p>
<p>She agreed and they took solo photos of each other.</p>
<p>Libby knew she was playing a dangerous game, allowing Jerry to hold her hand or walk around with his arm wrapped around her waist. She also knew that she wasn’t an unwilling participant in this game of flirtation that they were playing. She craved physical contact and it had been so long since someone had touched her willingly. She and Drew rarely touched one another and her children were all at an age where they felt they were too old to cuddle with their mother. They would offer a hug here and there but always pulled away quickly, off to do whatever it was they were interested in at the moment. Corky was the most affectionate of her children, the only one who still kissed her goodnight, but even he was starting to back away lately.</p>
<p>Here was a man who actually <em>wanted</em> to have physical contact with her. Jerry seemed to enjoy touching her, even if it was only to take her hand in his. The first time he draped her arm around her shoulders, she didn’t bat an eye and just relaxed into it. When he later wrapped his arm around her waist, resting his hand on her hip, she didn’t think twice before doing the same to him. The fact that it felt so utterly natural and comfortable reminded her of how dangerous it was. </p>
<p>“Excuse me...” she heard Jerry say to a passer-by. “Can I get you to take a picture of my girlfriend and me?” </p>
<p>Libby gaped at him, as the stranger took the camera and Jerry returned to her side. He threw his arm around her shoulder and turned toward the man, a huge grin on his face. Libby didn’t realize that the photo had been taken until the flash went off. She was still staring at Jerry when the stranger walked away.</p>
<p>“Your <em>girlfriend</em>, Jerry?”</p>
<p>“What’s wrong with that?” he asked, confused. “I thought you said you hadn’t come to any decisions yet.”</p>
<p>“I haven’t! I don’t know what we are, but I sure as hell am <em>not</em> your girlfriend,” she snapped. “I am a 40-year-old woman – I haven’t been a <em>girl</em> for decades.”</p>
<p>“Then what should I tell people you are? My <em>loverrrr</em>?”</p>
<p>The way he stretched out the last syllable made her roll her eyes, before glaring at him.</p>
<p>“Why tell anyone I’m anything? Why do we need labels?  If you want someone to take a picture of us, you can just ask if they will take a picture of us. Hey don’t need to know our history, especially not whether or not we’re <em>lovers</em>!”</p>
<p>“Ok, fine…” he sighed. “But you weren’t even looking when that guy took the picture, so I want another one.”</p>
<p>“Fine,” she snapped.</p>
<p>Libby shook her head at him when he asked an elderly couple if they would mind taking a couple of photos of himself and his ‘sister’. Libby glared at Jerry as he explained to the couple that it was his little sister’s birthday and how this was the first time they had been able to spend any quality time alone together, because she was married to a monster of a man, who didn’t allow her to spend time with the people who love her. They nodded at Libby and Jerry, sympathetically, while Libby stared back at them, mortified. </p>
<p>“I see the resemblance between you two,” the small, white-haired woman said. “The dark hair and eyes.”</p>
<p>“Yes, but Libby here takes after our mother and I look more like the mailman.”</p>
<p>The couple looked confused and Jerry gave Libby a smug smile, before pulling her into his arms for the photos.</p>
<p>“You make me crazy,” she muttered, as they both put on cheerful smiles for the camera. </p>
<p>“Maybe so…” he agreed. “But you love it.” </p>
<p>She reached around and pinched him on the butt, causing him to flinch at the exact moment the flash went off, while she continued giving her sweetest smile to the camera. Libby couldn’t wait to see how the picture would come out. </p>
<p>When the couple returned the camera to Jerry, and he had thanked them for the photo, the elderly woman took Libby’s hand.</p>
<p>“Your husband sounds just awful, dear,” she said. “I hope you manage to get away from that brute of a man.” </p>
<p>“So do I, <em>Sis</em>,” Jerry agreed, looking at Libby and pretending to look concerned.</p>
<p>Libby thanked the woman, politely, before glaring up at Jerry again. </p>
<p>“Let’s go see what’s in the gift shop, Sis!” he said, taking her by the hand and pulling her down the hall, before she could start lecturing him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Friday<br/>
Evening<br/>
Lola’s Bistro and Wine Bar</p><p> </p><p>“How’s your steak, Libs?”</p><p>“Really good. I don’t think I’ve ever had one this good – I’ve already almost eaten the entire thing!” Libby smiled. “How’s yours?”</p><p>“Fantastic... Maybe Drew should open a steakhouse, instead of a diner. There’s not a good steakhouse for at least 50 miles outside of Glenbrook.” </p><p>Libby’s mood darkened when she heard her husband’s name. The last person on earth she wanted to think about was him. She was having too good a time with Jerry to have it spoiled.</p><p>After they had left the Hall of Fame, she and Jerry ate a light lunch, before going to the Cleveland Museum of Art. They had wandered around the building for hours, talking and enjoying each other’s company. Libby found that the more she let her guard down, the more her affection for Jerry grew. He still irritated her and made her roll her eyes or snap at him at least twice every hour, but she loved being with him. He made her laugh continuously and it had been so long since she had truly laughed.</p><p>Their displays of affection were also increasing. Libby noticed that Jerry had graduated to touching her cheek here and there or caressing her hair. At one point, as they were admiring the painting of ‘Cupid and Psyche’, Jerry walked up behind Libby and slid his arms around her waist. She then wrapped hers arms around his and relaxed into his embrace.</p><p>“What’s your favorite kind of art, Jer?” she had asked, suddenly turning her face to look at him.</p><p>Jerry had been in the process of bending to place a kiss on her cheek and their lips collided. They had stared at each other, wide-eyed, with their lips still touching, before they finally pulled away. Once separated, they smiled at each other, shyly.</p><p>“That’s not how that was supposed to go,” Jerry had looked embarrassed.</p><p>“How <em>was</em> it supposed to go?”</p><p>“Much smoother.”</p><p>They had both laughed at the thought. Try as he might, Jerry was never smooth.</p><p>“Maybe <em>next</em> time it will be,” Libby had smiled, reassuringly.</p><p>Jerry had looked surprised at first, then pleased, as she took his arm and  they continued their tour of the museum.</p><p>Libby was smiling at the memory when she heard Jerry speak.</p><p>“I love how loud you are in bed.”</p><p>The glass Libby was lifting to her lips stopped halfway there. She didn’t look at him. That goddamned man.</p><p>“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Libs.”</p><p>“I’m not <em>ashamed</em>,” she snapped, glaring at him. “What do I have to be <em>ashamed</em> about?”</p><p>“Nothin’ at all. I wasn’t complaining about it-”</p><p>“No, but you’re trying to embarrass me and it’s not going to work... So, I’m loud in bed, Jerry, so what? Lots of people are. It’s not weird or anything!”</p><p>“Hey, I’m just teasing you, Libs,” Jerry spoke softly, as he reached across the table and took her hand, lacing their fingers together. “I just love to see you blush, that’s all. I wasn’t trying to upset you, just tease you a little.”</p><p>She nodded, without looking at him, and took a large gulp of her wine.</p><p>“To be honest, I think it’s fantastic when a woman is… <em>vocal</em>. It let’s you know whether what you’re doing is working for her or not. I appreciate it.”</p><p>Libby stayed silent.</p><p>“I haven’t been... <em>vocal</em> in a very long time,” she added, after a long moment. “I have kids in the next room, you know. I’ve spent 20 years trying to make sure they don’t hear me.”</p><p>“That must be frustrating, having to suppress your feelings for so long.”</p><p>Libby chuckled.</p><p>“To be honest, it’s been a very long time since I’ve felt the need to be loud. It hasn’t been good for more years than I can count. More than anything, I was just surprised that you said I was so… <em>expressive</em>. I must’ve enjoyed myself,” she admitted.</p><p>“You seemed to.”</p><p>She felt herself blush again, as she met his eyes. They smiled at one another.</p><p>“Let me see the picture in your wallet,” Libby said, suddenly.</p><p>“What picture?” </p><p>“You <em>know</em> what picture. Come on, I want to see it.”</p><p>Jerry looked panicked as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. When he handed the photo to her, she stared at it a long time, smiling.</p><p>“Why do you carry this?” </p><p>Jerry hesitated a moment.</p><p>“I like looking at it,” he finally said. “I like looking at <em>us</em> in it, how happy we are. It makes me think about what we might have been like, if things were different.”</p><p>“How long have you felt this way about me, Jer?” she asked, softly.</p><p>“I don’t know, Libs. How long have you been working for me?”</p><p>“Seven years.”</p><p>“Seven years, four months, two weeks...”</p><p>Libby’s eyes widened. </p><p>“I interviewed you on February 27th at 11:00 and hired you within 15 minutes,” he stated.</p><p>“You remember that?”</p><p>“Do you think I’m not going to remember the exact moment the most important person in my life walked into it?”</p><p>She stared at him for a long time. Finally, she spoke.</p><p>“<em>I’m</em> the most important person in your life?”</p><p>“Absolutely. You have been for years.”</p><p>Libby looked down at the table, unsure of what to say. Her eyes had flooded with tears and was doing her best not to let them spill over. </p><p>Suddenly, another photo was set in front of her, causing her to smile. It was a photo of the two of them at a Hanukkah/Christmas party Jerry had thrown at the office, the first year she worked there. It seemed like a lifetime ago. She was only 33 then and Jerry was 37 and they both looked like babies.</p><p>“That’s the first picture we ever took together,” he said.</p><p>“I remember. You looked adorable in that Santa suit.”</p><p>“And you were the most beautiful elf I had ever seen. You still are.”</p><p>She blushed again. </p><p>“You have other pictures in there? Let me see...”</p><p>“Well, I.. uh...” he hesitated.</p><p>“Let me see them, Jerry. What are you nervous about? I want to know what pictures you’re toting around of me. Unless… they’re not <em>all</em> me...?”</p><p>Libby hadn’t stopped to consider that maybe she wasn’t the only woman Jerry carried pictures of. Her years with an unfaithful husband had made her suspicious of the behavior of men. What if he had entire wallet full of photos of women, so he could show them to the woman in question, in case he was trying to seduce her? Maybe he was just using lines on her to get her into bed and she was falling for it hook, line and sinker. What if-</p><p>“Of course they’re all you, Libs. I just...”</p><p>“Then let me see them.”</p><p>Reluctantly, he handed over his wallet. As she reached for the stack of pictures inside, she made a quick survey of the other items in the billfold. Cash, cards, ID, a few business cards and one condom. Nothing else. She handed him back the wallet, with a shy smile.</p><p>Libby didn’t know what Jerry was so nervous about. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary about the pictures The first couple were just photos of her smiling, one of her at another office party she had attended with Drew. Drew, of course, had been cut out of the photo. The next was a picture of her at a company picnic, sitting in the sun, laughing and wearing sunglasses. Another was of her and Jerry at another company party. Libby remembered she had dragged him onto the dance floor and had gotten him to do a few steps with her, before he became embarrassed and left the floor. She grinned at the memory.</p><p>When she flipped to the next photo, Libby recognized it immediately. It was a photo of her from the same softball game as the photo of her in his arms. When Libby first opened the photos that had come from the photographer, she balked at this particular picture. The photographer had taken a photo of her from the side while she was on second base, bent over and ready to run as soon as the batter hit. The pose she was in made her already full bottom looked massive, making her regret having worn those tiny white shorts. What had she been thinking? She had tossed the photo in the trash, before anyone else could get the chance to see it. </p><p>“Did you get this out of my trash can?” she asked, looking at Jerry over the photo.</p><p>“Well, technically it’s my trash, since I own the company and all, but yeah… It’s a great picture!”</p><p>“My butt is huge in this picture!”</p><p>“I know,” he said, dreamily, taking the photo out of her hand to look at it.</p><p>“Jerry!” </p><p>“I mean, in a good way, Libs. It’s not huge. It’s…” </p><p>He let out a groan that let her know he could not find the words he was looking for but that he enjoyed what he saw. Very much.</p><p>A giggle escaped her, as she snatched the photo back and set it in the pile she had already looked at.</p><p>“So, you’re an ass man, Jer,” she grinned.</p><p>“I can’t help it, Libs – especially not when you walk around with one that looks like <em>that</em>. Do you know how hard it is not to put my hands on it and <em>squeeze</em> it every day? You have no idea how often I have to go home at lunchtime to have a cold shower, just from having watched it bounce around all morning.”</p><p>“I don’t bounce around!”</p><p>“<em>You</em> don’t, but <em>it</em> does.”</p><p>Libby burst out laughing and shook her head, turning back to the photos.</p><p>She stopped laughing when she saw the next two photos, the last ones in the stack. The first was a photo of her and Jerry, with Corky between them, all smiling and enveloped in a group hug. The second was of Corky alone, standing at home plate, bat in hand. </p><p>That had been a wonderful day for Corky <em>and</em> for her. Corky had been the ‘bat boy’ for the charity game but, after it was over, Libby discovered that Jerry had rented the baseball diamond for an additional two hours. Unbeknownst to her, he had planned that the company could play another game, one that Corky could actively been involved in. Libby had been brought to tears that day, knowing that her coworkers had done something so wonderful for her son and seeing how much Corky had enjoyed it.</p><p>“You carry pictures of Corky with you,” she murmured.</p><p>“Yeah. I love that kid, Libs. He’s remarkable… Look how we look like a family in this one,” he said, looking at the photo of the three of them. </p><p>“You <em>love</em> my son?” she choked.</p><p>Jerry looked at her. Libby’s eyes were shining with tears, but she was smiling. He reached over and cupped her cheek.</p><p>“You <em>know</em> I do. I’d do anything for that boy… <em>and</em> his mother.”</p><p>Libby let out a sob and moved toward him, reaching for his face and pulling his lips to hers. She forgot where she was and kissed him with far more passion than was appropriate in a public place. Neither of them paid any heed to the other patrons, who turned to watch them.</p><p>“Let’s go back to the hotel. Right <em>now</em>,” she whispered, as soon as they came up for air.</p><p>“You don’t want to finish dinner first?”</p><p>Libby shook her head, insistently. </p><p>Jerry grinned and gestured to the waiter that they were ready to pay. As they waited for him to bring their bill, Libby whispered in Jerry’s ear, telling him the list of things she planned to do to him as soon as they got back to the room. He grinned and kissed her, in response.</p><p>Once they had paid their bill, they shared one more deep kiss before gathering up their belongings. As they turned to leave, they both spotted the elderly couple whom they had chatted with at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.</p><p>“Oh, hello again!” Libby smiled, happily.</p><p>When the couple responded with nothing but an opened mouth stare, she looked at them, confused.</p><p>“Well, enjoy the rest of your evening,” Jerry said, to them. “Come on, <em>Sis</em>!”</p><p>Libby laughed at the look on the couple’s faces as Jerry took her by the hand and led her from the restaurant.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Saturday<br/>
Night<br/>
Hotel Room</p><p>“…I <em>did</em> get you a shirt. Well, actually, Jerry did. Yes, he knew you wanted one, so he got you all one as presents… No, not Arnold. They didn’t have dog shirts, Cork… Yes, I’m having a good time… Well, it’s work stuff, you know, so as good as can be expected...”</p><p>Libby glanced over to see Jerry smiling at her, as she talked on the bedside phone. He gently ran his hand up and down her bare back. She smirked at him as his hand dipped lower, to cup her bare bottom.</p><p>“I’ll be home tomorrow afternoon, honey… Sure, whatever you want for dinner. Tell your dad to pick up the ingredients from the store and I’ll make it… I love you, too… Tell Becca and Paige I love them and I’ll see them tomorrow… Ok, Dad too… Ok, honey… Bye.”</p><p>“Everything ok at home?” he asked, and she settled back in the bed.</p><p>“Yep… Hand me the Twix, Jer.”</p><p>“The Twix? You just had a Snickers! If you keep eating all this chocolate, I’m going to get hives when I kiss you,” Jerry griped, as he handed her the candy bar.</p><p>“Well, keep your tongue out of my mouth for awhile and you won’t have to worry.” she teased, opening the wrapper and taking a bite.</p><p>“That’s fine. I can think of somewhere else to put my tongue, in the meantime.”</p><p>Libby laughed.</p><p>“Promises, promises…” she grinned.</p><p>She leaned over to give Jerry a soft kiss, her bare chest pressing against his. He put his arm around her, as they settled back against the headboard, her head resting on his chest.</p><p>“Have I told you how beautiful your breasts are?” </p><p>Libby laughed and glanced down at them.</p><p>“You don’t think they’re too small?”</p><p>“Absolutely not,” he said, reaching over to cup one.</p><p>“You know, I almost had them fixed once.”</p><p>“What do you mean <em>fixed</em>? They’re perfect,” he looked shocked.</p><p>“Drew has always complained about them. He liked the size they were when I was pregnant or breastfeeding and, when they went back to normal, he was… disappointed, to say the least. He kept at me about getting a boob job, for <em>years</em>, until I finally gave in. I was young and insecure,” she explained. “I was raising three babies and was too busy to think about my breasts being the wrong size. I just wanted to shut him up.”</p><p>“What happened? I mean, you obviously don’t have any scars.”</p><p>“Thankfully, our car blew up and we had to use the ‘tit fund’, as he called it, to buy a new car. He didn’t mention it anymore, after that. My guess is that he found another woman who had a body he liked, one he didn’t have to pay to <em>fix</em>.”</p><p>Jerry shook his head, before cupping her face and kissing her forehead.</p><p>“God Libs… I hate that putz more and more each day. I don’t have to tell you that he’s crazy, do I?” he asked.</p><p>Libby stared at him, as he spoke.</p><p>“I am so glad that you you didn’t do anything like get surgery to change anything, because you are absolutely perfect exactly how you are. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. And those breasts… They are perfection. If I were an artist, I would paint them and hang them behind my desk at the office. Or make a sculpture of them so I could rub them every day for luck. Or-”</p><p>“I thought you were an <em>ass</em> man, Jer,” she teased.</p><p>“I think I can safely say that with you, I’m an <em>everything</em> man.” </p><p>Her cheeks reddened. It had been a very long time since someone had complimented her as much as she had been during the past couple of days. In the early days with Drew, he showered her with praise about her voice and how how pretty she was. Of course, that was when he was still trying to get her into bed. Not long after he had achieved that, especially after she had unexpectedly gotten pregnant, ruining her figure and the life plans they each had, the compliments had dried up. He still would throw a halfhearted one her way every once in awhile, especially if he had sex on his mind, but they were few and far between…. not to mention insincere.</p><p>As she watched Jerry gaze at her, with nothing but admiration on his face, she didn’t doubt his sincerity at all. Jerry. Jerry whom she had known for seven years, who drove her crazy and whom she argued with several times a day. A man whom she had always considered to be stubborn and selfish, but who turned out to be the most generous lover she had been with in the nearly 25 years of she’d been sexually active. Jerry. The man she was probably very much in l-</p><p>“Have I ever told you how much I love your hair?” he asked, running his fingers over her scalp and then through the long strands.</p><p>She shook her head.</p><p>“I do…” he smiled. “I love the feel of it, the color of it-”</p><p>“It’s just brown, Jerry.”</p><p>“Oh, it’s so much more than brown, Libs. Mine’s just brown, but yours is rich and warm. And the way it turns so red in the sun… I love that. You don’t know how often, when we’ve just been sitting at the office, that I have wanted to reach over and just touch your hair. I guess, now I can do it whenever I want to.”</p><p>“Not at the office. Can you imagine the gossip if you did that? As it is, they all already refer to me as your ‘work wife’. What do you think they’d call me if you started touching me in front of them?”</p><p>“’Work wife’? I like that! You could start calling me ‘work husband’, if you want. Or, you know, just husband.”  </p><p>“I’m sure that would spread like wildfire and make it’s way back to my actual husband... Ugh, can you imagine?”</p><p>Jerry didn’t answer, not wanting to think about her husband. He continued massaging her scalp with his fingertips and she sighed, relishing the feeling of his touch.</p><p>“Hey Libs, where should our next conference be?”</p><p>“There’s already one coming up? I thought they were annual events.”</p><p>“They are <em>technically</em>, but I need an excuse to take you on a trip so we’re probably going to have to say it’s a conference.”</p><p>“I’d love to go somewhere with you, but I don’t know that Drew will let me go on another one anytime soon,” she sighed, disappointedly. “I’m sure he’s been painting the town red, without me there, but he doesn’t like me doing anything fun without him. Besides that, the kids need me at home.”</p><p>“The kids are big and seem to be doing just fine without you. Drew probably won’t mind if you tell him I’m offering you a big bonus to go with me because I am in desperate need of your… <em>assistance</em>.”</p><p>Libby laughed, keeping her eyes closed.</p><p>“Yes, he’d probably let me go then. Where would we go?”</p><p>“I was thinking Hawaii… Lying on a beach, drinking Mai Tais… You in a bikini...”</p><p>“I’ve given birth to two children, Jerry. You will never see me in a bikini,” she scoffed.</p><p>“I’ve already seen everything and you’re perfect. What difference would it make if you wear a bikini?”</p><p>“Ok, let me rephrase it… I will never wear a bikini in <em>public</em>. Besides, Drew would never let me go to Hawaii with you. We’ve been talking about going to Hawaii for years and there is no way he’d let me see it without him. Never ever.”</p><p>“Ok, then what about New York?” </p><p>Libby’s eyes shot open and she sat up, to look at him.</p><p>“New York?”</p><p>“Yeah, we could go in the winter, do some sightseeing, do some Christmas shopping for the kids, take in a couple of shows… Have you ever been there?”</p><p>“Once,” she nodded, excitedly. “My school’s drama club went to New York, during my senior year. I got to see a Broadway show there and it was the best thing I had ever experienced. I’ve always wanted to go back! I planned on moving there right after college, but I met Drew and got pregnant and- Oh my God, Jerry, would you really take me there?”</p><p>“Of course I will. Why do you look so shocked?”</p><p>“Well, forgive me, Jer, but you’re normally so… <em>cheap</em>.”</p><p>Jerry laughed.</p><p>“I am cheap. I don’t see the point in spending a lot on things that don’t matter but when it comes to the woman I...” he hesitated. “I wouldn’t be cheap when it comes to you, Libs. Not you. I’ll take you anywhere in the world that you want to go.”</p><p>“You’ll take me to a Broadway show?”</p><p>“We can go to as many as you like. Every night, if you want. Matinees, as well.”</p><p>Unable to contain her excitement, Libby let out a squeal and threw her arms around him. She seemed almost like a child, as she climbed onto his lap and showered his face with kisses.</p><p>“I’m glad I could make you happy,” he grinned.</p><p>“You <em>do</em> make me happy, Jerry. Happier than I have been in so long.”</p><p>Jerry pulled her into his arms and held her against him, resting his chin on top of her head.</p><p>“You make me happy, too, Libs. More than you will ever know.”</p><p>“I love this,” she murmured, snuggling up against him. “Just being with you and doing something simple, like watching TV, with no interruptions. We won’t have this, when we get home.” </p><p>“What are things going to be like when we get back?” </p><p>Jerry was afraid of the answer. The past two days had been wonderful, something that felt like a honeymoon. They had gone to bed and woken up in each other’s arms, with every waking moment being used to just enjoying each other’s company. Hand in hand, they explored the city and spent hours talking. Both found themselves telling the other things they had never shared with anyone before. If it had only been lust that brought them together that first night, though they hadn’t said it, each felt that it was love that held them together now.</p><p>“I don’t know,” she answered, honestly. “We’ll do the best we can. That’s all we can do.”</p><p>“How am I supposed to go back to waking up without you next me? To not be able to just reach over and touch you?”</p><p>“I can’t ever leave Drew, Jerry. I could never do that to Corky.”</p><p>“I know…” he sighed. “It’s ok. I’ll take you any way I can get you.”</p><p>They were silent a moment.</p><p>“You’re not going to quit on me or anything, are you?” he asked, timidly.</p><p>“Why would I do that? That’s the only time I’m guaranteed to see you.”</p><p>He released the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding.</p><p>“I just thought maybe you’d go home, see your family and think this was a bad idea.”</p><p>“It is a bad idea, as far as timing goes… but not us being together. You’ve made me the happiest I’ve been in a very, very long time. I have no intention of giving you up.” </p><p>Jerry tightened his arm around her and began running his fingers through her long auburn hair.</p><p>“I wish I had met you a long time ago… before you met Drew,” he said. “Both of our lives would have been so much different.”</p><p>“I wish I would have met you a long time ago, too, but after I had my babies. I wouldn’t want my life to be so different that I wouldn’t have had them.”</p><p>“After, then… I would’ve been good to them, Libs. I think I would’ve been a great father.” </p><p>Libby smiled.</p><p>“I know you would have, Jer.”</p><p>“Who knows? Maybe in our next life, huh?”</p><p>She chuckled and Jerry dropped a kiss on the top of her head.</p><p>“Come on, Jer…” Libby smiled, climbing out of the bed. “I want to try that shower chair again.”</p><p>“Ooh, mama… Wait, but we used the last condom, Libs. The box we got this morning is empty.”</p><p>“It doesn’t matter, honey” she shrugged. “I haven’t gotten pregnant in a dozen years and I haven’t used birth control <em>at all</em> during that time. I’m pretty sure we’re safe. Come on...” </p><p>Jerry’s eyes lit up.</p><p>“We’re riding bareback?” </p><p>He leaped out of the bed and swept her up into his arms. Libby laughed, as he raced toward the bathroom, carrying her.</p><p>“Let’s go, cowgirl!”</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>